300 town hall jobs face axe

MORE than 300 town hall jobs could be cut as Rochdale Council tries to save £100m. Documents leaked to the Observer reveal that 329 positions have been earmarked for the axe as part of an efficiency programme to balance the council's books. A report states that 362 employees across various departments are at risk of redundancy.

He said: "Before this Lib Dem dictatorship goes ahead with their savage cuts, they must begin a serious assessment of the services which the residents and council taxpayers accept are the business of this council.

"We should be encouraging employment and seeking to raise the levels of skills and employment across the borough."

But Conservative group leader, Councillor Ashley Dearnley, said there was an urgent need to address the budget deficit.

He added: "All parties have agreed that there is an urgent need to do something.

"While we may not agree with all the individual programmes, the only way to make major cutbacks is with staff and we need to act as soon as possible as it is taxpayers money we are dealing with."

Helen Harrison, Rochdale branch secretary of the town hall trades union Unison, said members were 'devastated' by the proposals.

She added: "We expected things to be bad, but not this bad, and fully oppose the proposals.

"We are currently organising meetings with members and council managers while we work out our full response."

Stephen Harper, the council's head of people management, said: "We're doing all we can to keep losses to the absolute minimum by saving money through better ways of working and joining up with our partners where appropriate.

"The number of actual job losses will likely be significantly less than the number of posts currently at risk, as our intention is that reductions will be achieved through people leaving the council through other jobs and through retirements.

"We will be seeking to redeploy at-risk staff into vacant jobs whenever we can."

Mr Harper added that trade unions and committees would be fully consulted before any changes to retirement and redundancy schemes.

A 90-day consultation on the changes will end on 22 December.

Unison have asked worried Rochdale council workers to contact them on 01706 925952.